The requirement for proper orientation of articles in various processes is well known in the art. Various prior art devices accomplish such orientation but none of such devices provide the orientation in the manner as provided by the applicants' device particularly when the articles to be oriented cannot be subjected to treatments that may damage the exterior surfaces thereof.
The various prior art patents that have been considered include patents to Moulder, U.S. Pat. No. 3,224,554; Walker, U.S. Pat. No. 2,973,548; Ross, U.S. Pat. No. 3,268,057 Sterling, U.S. Pat. No. 3,726,385 and Liberty, U.S. Pat. No. 3,061,067.
The Moulder patent discloses a unit arranged to shift articles end for end but is not concerned with any specific orientation as the articles are of the same size and shape.
The Walker patent requires carrying elements having exposed upper fibers such that the same will impel the articles being carried.
The Ross patent relates to the orientation of tapered agricultural articles but relies on the article rolling down an inclined plane and the tapered surface will cause the article to roll to one side with the larger end being at the lowest portion of the plane when the roll is accomplished.
The Sterling and Liberty patents relate to articles which are of a common or constant diameter and to the orientation of oblong units.
Applicants' orientation device is disclosed herein as a device for orienting corn cobs such that they are all directed in a common direction for introduction into a kernel cutting device or the like. In order to properly operate such a device in plants that are provided with conveying devices and which utilize standard kernel cutting units, certain considerations exist in applicants' device to allow for the existing standards and equipment of such plants.
With the device provided by the applicants' means are not only provided to properly orient the cobs that are delivered thereto but also to select ears which are of at least a minimum and not over a maximum length. With the concepts provided in applicants' device the diameter of the ear may also be a controlling factor for ejection of an ear.
It is an object of applicants' invention to provide an article orienting device arranged to receive articles in random position and arrangement and to deliver the same in a common end to end and in line condition.
It is a further object of applicants' invention to provide an article orientation device including a sensing device to determine the orientation of articles delivered thereto and to thereafter provide means to selectively turn the articles that are in a reversed position to a proper position.
It is a further object of applicants' invention to provide an article orientation device which is adapted to receive articles from a conveying means and to deliver the same in singular fashion to a selective rotation device for rotation of those articles that are in what may be termed a reverse position.
It is a further object of applicants' invention to provide an article orientation device which includes means for sensing articles which are without a proper sizing limitation and to provide means for ejection of articles that are without such limits.
It is still a further object of applicants' invention to provide an article orientation device which provides a dual rotating wheel combination for either forwarding articles which are in proper relation without rotation or for rotating the articles that are in reversed position and thereafter forwarding the same.
It is yet a further object of applicants' invention to provide an article orientation device which, due to its particular design and construction, provides a means for carefully handling products such as agricultural products without damaging the same.